Almost half of the US population is on one prescription medication. Depending on how good those user’s insurance is, some of them could be paying hundreds of dollars per month to keep up with their doses.
The skyrocketing price of pharmaceutical drugs has created a financial hardship for large swaths of patients which has led many of them to turn to online pharmacies. Online pharmacies tend to offer wide selections of drugs at much lower prices than brick-and-mortar operations given their lowered overhead. There is, however, a lot of risks involved with shopping for online drugs.
To ensure that you have the best and safest experience possible, here are eight how to buy prescription drugs online tips that should streamline your process.
1. Talk to Your Primary Care Physician
Just because you’re trying to figure out how to buy prescription drugs online doesn’t mean that you should also be figuring out how to circumvent visiting your physician. Your doctor is the single best resource when it comes to ensuring that you’re taking the right medications and that those medications won’t have side-effects that are uniquely destructive to you.
After you’ve received a checkup and have confirmed which medications may improve your life, discuss online pharmacies. Your doctor may have recommendations on where other patients go to get medications that could speed up your pharmacy search.
2. Browse Online Resources
Once you have a prescription in hand, it’s time to start searching for a reputable online pharmacy that can fill it. If you received a pharmacy recommendation from your doctor, start your search by looking into whatever pharmacy they suggested. If you didn’t get a recommendation, hit the web and start doing some research.
Searching simple terms online like “US online pharmacy” can turn up a number of results that are worth looking into. You can also use popular review boards like Yelp to find potential pharmacy picks or screen options that were suggested to you.
Any pharmacy you find that doesn’t have online reviews is best avoided.
3. Confirm That the Pharmacy Has a US Address
There are a number of international pharmacies that market drugs to people in the United States. Many of these pharmacies are reputable and you can find out more about them online. Caveats are abundant when having pharmaceuticals shipped to you across country lines though.
The federal government has very strict regulations when it comes to controlled substances moving through the mail. You may find that by having presumably harmless drugs shipped to you from a South American pharmacy, you’re committing a felony.
4. Check Licensure
Any pharmacy that’s operating within the United States needs to have a valid license to run. Most pharmacies will boast being licensed on the home page of their website.
To make sure that a pharmacy isn’t lying about is being licensed, double-check with the FDA. You can review a pharmacy’s licensure status on a state by state basis here.
5. Call With a Question
One of the best ways to discern a pharmacy’s legitimacy is to call them with a question. Pharmacies posing as US-based businesses that are actually based overseas will never want to get on the phone with clients. That’s because most of their representatives will struggle severely with the English language.
If your pharmacy won’t get on the phone with you or if you notice red flags in their ability to communicate when they do, walk away. Even if your pharmacy is legitimate, calling them and seeing how responsive they are to your questions can tip you off as to how good their customer service is which should be important to you.
6. Ensure That a Prescription Is Required
No legitimate online pharmacy will ever send you medication without asking for your prescription since doing so would be illegal under US law. In most cases, online pharmacies will ask that you scan, fax or email your prescription to them for validation purposes. They might also request your doctor’s phone number so they can call to ensure that your prescription is valid.
7. Check for Coupons
Most people seek out online pharmacies because the prices that they offer are more competitive than local stores. What a lot of people don’t know is that many online pharmacies put out/accept coupons to further reduce their drug’s prices as a promotional effort.
There are a number of websites like GoodRx which offer coupons on prescriptions that could save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the year. See if any of the free coupons that are being offered online can save you money before you place your first pharmacy order.
8. Make Your Purchase
With everything validated, proceed with confidence as you place your first order with your online pharmacy. Most pharmacies will get you your medication within two-weeks (typically much sooner than that) and will offer free shipping on orders that exceed certain value thresholds.
Now That You Know How to Buy Prescription Drugs Online, Start Shopping
Even when you know how to buy prescription drugs online, going through the process can be daunting. To alleviate some of your concerns, understand that there are several reputable online drug providers. As long as you leverage the tips that we’ve given you to find one of them, you’re going to have a fabulous and affordable drug-buying experience.
Best of luck getting your health on track and please feel free to read more of the life-improvement posts that we have featured on our blog!
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